Baby Makes Three
by ElizaCortez
Summary: [HAIRSPRAY 2007] TracyLink. Someone is obsessed with Link and will go to great lengths to get him all to herself.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I wish I did, but I don't own Hairspray or the characters. It's all John's fault! And that's why we have fanfic. This is my first Hairspray story, so please be gentle. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Enjoy!

**Baby Makes Three**

Tracy was the happiest teenager in all of Baltimore. Her family was strongly cemented and stable now that her daddy had abundantly reassured her ma just how much he loved her and would never even think of looking at another woman. Tracy was a regular on The Corny Collins Show. The show was finally officially fully integrated, just as she had always dreamed it should be. She had the best friends any girl could ask for, but most of all, she had the coolest, sweetest, most gorgeous boyfriend any red-blooded American teeny-bopper girl could only dream of having: Link Larkin. The boy with the most piercing, sparkling blue eyes she had ever seen was completely and hopelessly in love with her.

What more could she ask for? One might think she had it all. Everything was as it should be.

After the earth-shattering kiss they shared at the end of the Miss Hairspray pageant, Link and Tracy just figured it was a fact. It was a silent agreement on both parts that they were together, they were now a couple. That display of affection a week ago on live television had proved no further explanation was needed.

All of Baltimore (at least all the young kids) had seen the infamous lip-lock, including…Brenda.

She had been confined to the four walls of her bedroom for a month. Her parents had found out about the pregnancy and took all the necessary measures to hide the shame she had brought upon the whole family. That included being seen on public television, even if it was just a local teen show.

She missed being a part of the Corny Collins show, but most of all, she missed…him. Even though her best friend, Amber, kept shoving it in her face that he belonged to her, Brenda still had a soft spot for Link. All the girls swooned over the cutest boy in Corny's council. She was no exception.

She had never missed an episode since she was forced to quit. Watching Link in black and white was not enough for her (she painfully missed his mischievously playful, radiant, bright blue eyes), but she had had to make due. Her parents had placed a small TV set in her bedroom to give her something to do for the remainder of the pregnancy. There was no way they were going to let her out of the room, much less the house, when she would begin to show. They appeased her hormonal outbursts by allowing her that tiny bit of enjoyment every day at 4 pm for an hour.

The shock of having been replaced by a short, chubby, plain Jane outcast from her homeroom class a month ago was nothing compared to the blow she had received as she watched the poster boy sucking face with…her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" She had screamed at the top of her lungs when the camera zoomed in on Tracy and Link kissing in celebration of all the wonderful events that had taken place that day. Brenda could not believe her eyes.

"How can my Link be kissing that…that…cow?!" She asked to no one in particular. After all, she was alone in her room. Her parents made only quick appearances at every meal.

After the initial shock wore off, her sobs began, equal in intensity to her repetitive 'NO!' exclamations.

"Link Larkin is mine, Tracy Turnblad! He's mine and no one else's!" She barked at the small TV screen.

Now that she wasn't on the show, she didn't need Amber's friendship. Brenda knew how furious her former co-star must have been after witnessing that spectacle. She had caught a glimpse of Amber's rage as the camera panned across the whole stage. But Brenda didn't care about her anymore. She was going to get Link for herself and she knew exactly how she was going to do it.

For a whole week she thought of a way to persuade her parents to let her out of the house. She finally convinced them that she still wasn't showing very much and that people were not going to be able to tell yet.

She set out to WYZT studios determined to take Link from Tracy and have him all to herself. She truly believed her plan was going to work. She was positively sure of it.

"Good afternoon Frank." She flirtatiously greeted the security guard at the front desk. She knew he had been sweet on her since she first set foot in the building two years ago to audition for the show.

"Afternoon, Miss Brenda." He replied nervously. "I thought you'd be out for a while longer. It's…it's good to see you're back." He smiled shyly at her.

"I'm not back yet, cutie." Oh she knew how to work her charm. "I'm just here to visit my friends. I was beginning to miss them, so I decided to drop by. I promise I won't stay long." She sealed the deal with a devastatingly cute wink.

"Take your time, miss. They still have half an hour before the taping begins." He motioned her to proceed into the set as he smiled longingly at her.

"Thank you. See you later." She walked past waving at him and flashing him another one of her sugary smiles.

As soon as Brenda opened the door, she heard Miss Maybelle tell the council, "All right everyone! That was groovy! Great rehearsal! Time for a break, but I want to see you back here in 30, alright?"

The crowd dispersed and everyone went their respective ways.

Brenda scanned the whole room for any sign of Link or Tracy. She finally saw them on the opposite side of where she was. They were walking hand in hand towards an empty space no one else had claimed.

'Of course,' she thought, seething as she glared, 'The new lovebirds can't keep their hands off each other. How romantic.' She rolled her eyes when she saw Link cupping Tracy's chin and leaning down to place a sweet, lingering kiss on her pouty lips as she played with his tie. He said something to her, smiled and winked then walked away, leaving Tracy smiling, sighing and staring dreamily after him.

Brenda saw Link go into the boys' restroom. She knew he was going to take a while, so she took her chance and walked toward Tracy. It was the perfect time to execute her plan.

"Hi. It's Tracy, right?" She called as she approached her rival.

"Yes." Tracy smiled, if only a bit startled out of her daydream. "You're…Brenda. Are you coming back to the show? I was sad to see you go. You were one of my favorite dancers."

"Oh…um…thank you, but no. I'm not back yet. I'm just here to…um…well, to talk to Link. Have you seen him around? I really need to talk to him."

"Yeah, he was just with me." She said, as she looked suspiciously at Brenda. "He shouldn't be too long. He just went to the restroom."

"Okay. I'll wait for him here."

The short, awkward silence was broken when Brenda let out a sniffle. Tracy turned to see her bottom lip quivering and her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Is…is everything okay?" She asked, concern apparent in her voice.

Brenda turned to face Tracy, but hesitated before answering, as if trying to decide whether or not to confide in her. She looked down and hugged her stomach and began to cry uncontrollably.

"It's his."

Tracy let out a gasp and she immediately covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Her eyes became clouded and watery. She was trying to make sense out of the revelation she had just heard.

Brenda was giddy with triumph at seeing Tracy's reaction.

"Oh God!" She pretended to have just realized something. "Are you two…? Did I…? I shouldn't have come here. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Please, Tracy. Don't tell Link anything. I didn't know you two were…Oh God!! I don't want to come between you. Please promise me you won't tell him." She let two more fake tears run down her cheeks to let the poor gullible girl know how horrible she felt.

"But it's what's right." Tracy said between silent sobs. "He has the right to know."

"I…can't. I will not do this to him. My life is already a mess. I won't be able to live with myself if I know I ruined his as well. He deserves so much more. I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have come. Please Tracy," She begged, "Please promise me you won't tell Link."

Tracy couldn't believe she was asking her this, but she respected Brenda's wishes. She nodded and walked away. She needed some fresh air to clear her mind and try to assimilate everything that had just occurred.

'How am I going to keep this from him?' She asked herself as soon as she felt the air caress her tear-stained cheeks. 'There's no other way,' she decided, finally letting out all the tears she had been holding in, 'I have to let him go.'

Tracy just stood there, trying to calm herself down before she had to go back in to the set. Taping was about to start, so she had to put on a happy, smiling face for the cameras. How she was going to do this she didn't know, but she knew she had to. She had no right to keep a father away from his baby. She had been happily raised by both her parents, so she wasn't going to deprive Link's baby of that bliss, even if it meant she would have to give up the love of her life.

She felt a hand gently squeezing her shoulder. She turned to see Penny looking at her questioningly.

"Tracy? Are you alright? I saw you talking to Brenda and then come out here. You looked sad. What's wrong?"

"Oh Penny," Tracy confided in her best friend, "I have to let Link go." She sniffled.

"What? Why? Did he say something mean to you? I thought he liked you. Wait till I tell Seaweed."

"No, no, Penny. It's not like that." Her voice was shaky now that she was about to tell Penny the story. "He and Brenda…The baby…Oh Penny!" She covered her face with both hands and her sobs returned with full force.

Penny instinctively embraced her best friend to comfort her. She knew immediately what Tracy was talking about.

"Oh Tracy, I'm so sorry." She didn't know what else to say, but then a curious thought crossed her mind and she released Tracy from the hug to look her in the eye. "Wait! What if all that is a plot to take him away from you? You know how she would always try to stand next to him on the show. She didn't even care that Amber was his girlfriend."

Tracy hadn't thought about that possibility and, for a second, her hope had returned, but then she remembered.

"She doesn't want Link to know, Penny. She begged me not to tell him. She didn't know we were together, but when she saw my reaction, she made me promise not to tell him."

"Oh Tracy," Her friend sounded more concerned now, "I'm here for you if you need me." Penny hugged Tracy again knowing that, right then, there was nothing she could say or do to make her best friend cheer up.

"I know, Penny. Thank you for being such a fantastic friend." She gave her friend a half hearted smile before they walked back into the building.

Tracy braced herself to face Link and pretend that everything was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hey guys! My most sincere apologies for the long delay. Here's the second chapter to my very first Hairspray fic. I hope you like it. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. I'm learning as I go, so I really appreciate any help you give me. We aspiring writers thrive on it. :)

As always, I don't own Hairspray, so don't sue me. You'll only get my cat, and although she's a very beautiful, loving baby, she can be a handful. So, don't say I didn't warn you. hehehehe

Oh and also, I don't know the exact distance between the studio and Tracy's house, so please excuse me if I made it too long or too short. Just humor me. It's just fanfic after all.

Finally, thank you all who reviewed my first chapter. I loved getting all the e-mails and reading all your positive and encouraging words! Much love to all!

Okay, now...on to the story...

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Chapter 2

Tracy tried to distract herself by focusing on her best friend's new look as they walked into the studio.

"So…you decided to let your hair down? It looks very cool, Penny. I like it."

"Yeah. My mom was spastic about it, but Seaweed likes it." She blushed.

Penny kept walking and didn't notice she had left Tracy behind. She turned to tell her something about the new style not needing too much hairspray when she noticed that Tracy was frozen in place.

"Tracy, what's…" She looked in the direction of Tracy's troubled stare to see Link walking towards them still a good distance away. "Oh."

"Hey little darlin'. I've been looking for you." He said after reaching them, holding back from touching and kissing Tracy since Penny was there.

Link smiled at Penny after winking at his baby doll.

"What's wrong?" He asked after noticing Tracy's lack of response.

"Oh nothing." She thought up a quick excuse. "It's just that I saw Brenda here and I thought she was back and…well, I panicked. I…I…thought I wasn't going to be needed on the show anymore. Silly of me, I know." She gave a nervous chuckle.

'Good one.' Thought Penny.

"Oh yeah. I ran into her a while ago. Don't worry, Trace. You're not going anywhere. She was just here to visit, she said. Besides, Corny wouldn't let go of his best dancer, would he?" Link reassured her.

He tenderly caressed Tracy's cheek as he added, "Besides, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here with me. Baby, I'd be no good without you."

Tracy, for once, was at a loss for words. She lost herself in his intense, cerulean gaze. Her mind was a battlefield and her emotions were at war.

Having been contemplating the beauty of her own warm, earthy eyes, he suddenly felt the two inches separating him from her were way too many. Unexpectedly feeling the loss and forgetting that Penny was still there, Link went to wrap his arms around Tracy.

"Um…I think Seaweed might be looking for me. I'll see you guys later." Penny said, walking away awkwardly from the couple.

"So…" Link directed his attention back to Tracy after watching Penny run off to Seaweed. "…wanna do something after the show?"

"Um…I can't." She lied. "I have to help my mother with some ironing."

"Oh, okay." He said, disappointment clear on his face. "Well, I guess I'll just have to make due with the ride back to your place after the show, then. I'm sure glad it's a long drive." He smiled, looking forward to being alone with Tracy, even if it was just for the half hour it took to get from the station to her house. Tracy was only able to nod in response.

"Alright, everyone listen up!" They both turned when they heard Maybelle's voice. "Five minutes to show time! I've always wanted to say that." Maybelle was in her element. She had been given the post as the new choreographer and stage manager of the Corny Collins show. She was doing an amazing job and everyone was clearly happier with her work ethics. She was loving every minute of it. "Be on the floor and ready to do the new twist on the twist we learned from Link."

Since Link was the one singing on this particular show, Tracy had little trouble concentrating on the dancing and smiling for the cameras. Fender had been assigned as her partner this time, something that didn't sit well with Link at all. He knew Fender very well and he didn't like the idea of pairing him with Tracy one tiny bit.

He had kept his eye on the two, watching Fender's every hand movement and Tracy's reactions. 'That's my girl,' He thought. He smiled every time Fender's hand tried to go lower than Tracy's waist and she, less than gently, squeezed his shoulder in response. She definitely knew Fender's intentions and didn't let him get away with any of it. Fender would immediately raise his hand and flash a nervous smile at Tracy, who just kept smiling and dancing for the cameras, as if nothing had happened. Her thoughts were still jumping from Brenda to Link to the baby and back to dancing, but she still knew how to be well aware of her dance partner; something she was very grateful to have learned from Mrs. Von Tussel.

Link had no idea what was going on, but he could sense something was not quite the same with Tracy after they came back from the break. He made a mental note to remind himself to ask her about it on the way to her house. After all, it wasn't like Tracy to be so distant from him, even if she was still a bit hesitant to show too much affection in public.

After Maybelle and Corny dismissed the kids, Link went straight to Tracy for his 'after the show' hug. He loved Tracy's hugs. They were tight and warm and…real. When she gave of herself, she gave wholeheartedly. That was another thing he loved about her. She didn't do things half-baked. She was giving and kind and authentic, true to herself in every way. This time, though, the hug he received was not quite what he had expected.

"Hey doll," he said, a little disappointed with the half-hearted hug he got, "you were amazing as always!" He flashed her his patented smile, unable to resist complimenting her at every opportunity.

"Thanks," was all the response she gave him.

"Ready to go?" He asked, knowing that was not the time or the place to discuss his concern with her.

"Yeah. Penny and Seaweed left already. They asked me to tell you good-bye for them." Her tone was flat, lacking her usual jovial, musical (he didn't know quite how to describe it) ring to it.

He simply nodded in response, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the building. The walk to his car was awkwardly silent. He started the car and drove off in the direction of Tracy's house, having the feeling these were going to be the longest thirty minutes of his life. He desperately wanted to be there for Tracy, but how could he if he was oblivious to what was wrong with her? He wanted to ask her, but her body language shouted at him to not even try. He just prayed that it was a girl thing and it would pass soon. From his experience with Amber, he knew that boys were safer not meddling in with girl issues, no matter how cute he was by asking or trying to assist.

"You were wonderful today, Link." Tracy broke the uncomfortable quiet that was suffocating her.

"What was that, baby?" Link had to ask, not able to understand her almost whisper. A sliver of hope rose in his chest, thinking everything was slowly going back to normal. He still wanted to know what that EVERYTHING was, though.

"I said you were wonderful today." She replied a little louder so he could understand. "That song was written just for you. I loved it." She turned to look at him for what was probably one of the last times, she thought. She gave him a small, promising smile and quickly turned back to continue to look out the window at the road in front of them.

The light turned red before the car reached the corner, so he had to stop since he was not turning just yet. He couldn't wait any longer. He had gone far too long without any physical contact with his beautiful girl, so he took this opportunity to take her hand in his and reach over to kiss her.

"Link…" She backed away from him, sinking into her seat, not allowing their lips to touch. If she had, she would not be able to do what she had made up her mind to do. That much she knew for sure.

"Trace, I wanna kiss ya!" Came his plea, desperate for the physical contact she was so torturously denying him…and herself, for that matter.

"Link…"

He took this as a sign and tried again, but she just repeated her earlier action.

She was using all the energy she could muster to stop herself from crying and jumping into his arms; those warm, comforting, loving arms she was so used to having wrapped around her.

"Link, the light is green."

He turned to verify what he already knew was true, he went back to his seat and accelerated. Confusion, worry and fear were now clearly etched on his cherubic face. Tracy had never acted this strange before. He needed to know what was wrong. It was killing him to not be able to help her through whatever it was she was going through.

"Trace, what's going on? Why are you…?" He tried to ask, but he knew he wouldn't be able to stop the sob stuck in his throat if he continued with his questions.

"It…it's nothing." She replied simply. She could sense he was hurting, but in her mind, she knew there was no other solution.

"Nothing…my ass!" He exclaimed a little too loudly for his own liking. Her gasp made him turn to look at her and the car swerved a little out of control. "Oh God, Trace! I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to…"

"Let me out at the next toll." She whispered her request. Her tears were now flowing freely down her flushed cheeks.

"Please, baby!" He said, letting a sob escape his throat, "I'm dying here. I want to be there for you, but I don't know what's wrong." He drove a little more slowly now, making time to see if he could get her to talk.

"Link…let me out of the car. I…I can't…"

He sighed and shook his head. "No, it's okay." He gave up. "I won't make you tell me, but I'm driving you home. I can't just leave you out here on your own. Okay?"

She nodded and turned to look out her window. Link kept is eyes on the road, his mind racing, coming up with millions of reasons to explain Tracy's behavior. The rest of the ride to her place was made in silence.

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**2nd A/N:** Ack! Okay, so I'm begging now. Please, please, please review. If there is anything that sounds weird or awkward, let me know. I am also taking suggestions as to how you guys want this story to go. I promise to work something out. :) Thanks again.

Eliza


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **First of all, I want to thank everyone who's commented on my story and has saved it as a favorite. You are too generous with your reviews and I am grateful because they are the fuel that keeps me writing these two wonderful characters I love so much.

So, here is chapter three. It is a lot shorter than the other two chapters, but it is a necessary evil. What follows after the last paragraph on this chapter goes much better as a separate chapter altogether. Also, apologies if this whole chapter sounds too melodramatic, but I remember when I was a teenager everything seemed to be more intense and the feelings more magnified. Anyway...comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

The sky was preparing itself for a beautiful sunset, but neither Link nor Tracy noticed. The splashes of reds, violets and vibrant oranges across the sky above Baltimore went unappreciated as the teenagers dwelled in the misery of their current individual situations.

Not finding a closer parking space, Link pulled over to the curb a block away from Tracy's house. He wanted to look over at Tracy so badly, but he kept his eyes on his hands clutching the steering wheel after turning off the engine. Tracy had not moved from her position of staring out the window, even after the last sound of the engine shutting off was heard. Link waited eternal seconds before looking over at Tracy's still unmoving form. He hadn't heard the sound of the door opening either. Hope made a tiny cameo in his heart and he knew he couldn't give up on his girl. Not yet. Not ever.

"Trace…" He hesitated, waiting for her to respond to his trembling whisper. He was trying so hard not to let the tears flow. He had learned to just be himself with her and show her how he was feeling easily, but he still didn't know the reason for her behavior, so he didn't think it was worth his tears…just yet.

Tracy turned slowly to look at him. Her expression revealed a sadness Link never thought would be possible on a face as beautiful and innocent as hers. It broke his heart to the very core to witness it. More so because he had absolutely no idea what was causing such a terrible vision. It reminded him of the time he had hurt her at Maybelle's platter party, but that had been a walk in the park compared to what she looked like now. This, he knew, had to be immensely bigger and more painful than the mere words of rejection he had spoken before.

He couldn't stand it any longer. He reached out to touch her soft skin, feeling the dry tears as his hand slid down from her temple to her trembling chin. Tracy didn't back away from him this time. She actually leaned in to the gentle caress, letting a soft, sorrowful sigh escape.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked with trepidation, looking intently into her red-brimmed beautiful chocolate colored eyes. His thumb traced her bottom lip, mimicking what his tongue so longed to do.

She shook her head, but half-smiled and, before he could frown, she was launching herself at him, attacking his lips with hers. Link fell back on his seat and reciprocated the kiss with just as much passion. He didn't understand what was going on, but he didn't care. He hadn't had a taste of her in so long and he was famished.

Tracy writhed against his body, grinding and rubbing herself on him as she continued her ministrations on his mouth. Tongues were warring, fighting to take control over the other. Arms and legs became a tangled mess and their whole bodies fought to merge in spite of clothes. Link's guttural sounds were intermingled with Tracy's moans and gasps as their movements became more erratic, more heated.

It was crazy and irrational, but Tracy needed to feel what Brenda must have felt as she and Link…

She wasn't expecting that thought to just jump out and surprise her. She immediately stopped, got up off Link and sat back on her seat, panting and almost breathless. The sudden shock of shame overtook her and she began to cry anew.

"Oh God…Trace!" He mouthed breathlessly.

Link was also panting, confused and annoyed by the sudden ceasing of her actions. He struggled for speech, but his body just hadn't regained control yet. It was much too soon and his brain was still in a haze. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to compose himself. It just wasn't working. Her soft and warm curvaceous body felt too good on his hard and muscular one. The intense feeling of desire and delicious friction still lingered. Link had never experienced anything like that before and he wanted more.

He threw his head back and tried to relax. "Geez, baby. You're killin' me."

"I'm so sorry, Link. I…I don't know what came over me. I just wanted to say good-bye…somehow." She didn't look at him as she spoke. Her tone made the last phrase sound so final and so permanent. Link was no dummy. He knew what she had meant by 'good-bye.' She was breaking up with him…just like that. No explanation had been provided. Just a simple good-bye was all he got.

His head jerked back up and his eyes were immediately on her, wide and questioning.

"What do you mean good-bye?" He asked, knowing the answer already.

"I can't be with you anymore, Link. I just can't." She sobbed.

"Tracy…baby…what did I do? Tell me. Whatever it is…I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I want to fix it. I can't let you go. I'll…I'll die." His words were desperate, but that's exactly what he was: desperate for a reason, a clue, anything.

Tracy looked over at him hesitantly. She saw the remnants of desire lingering there after her assault, but the anguish and the hurt were overshadowing all other feelings his eyes conveyed. It tore her apart to see him like this, so broken, so vulnerable. She had finally gotten to see the real Link, the sensitive, susceptible and the sometimes not so cool Link she loved so much and now she had to give him up. Life just wasn't fair. She had thought she had everything, but now he was being taken away from her by the consequences of his past actions. No. Life just wasn't fair at all, she decided.

He was still searching her eyes for an answer, but when she didn't reply, he closed his eyes in resignation and allowed the tears to flow. He didn't even try to hide his weakness from her.

"Tracy…please…" He begged one last time, his words broken by his sobs.

"I…can't, Link. I'm…sorry." She choked back her own cry as she opened the door to leave.

Link grabbed her arm, holding her back as he said, "I'm not giving you up, Tracy. I promise I'm going to find out what happened and I'm going to fight for you. I love you, Tracy Turnblad!" He let go of her, letting her get out. Without another word, she walked away, never turning back to see him finally fall to pieces as he held on to the steering wheel for dear life.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! Thanks again for all the reviews so far! I'm loving all of them. So, without further ado, here's the next installment of Baby Makes Three:

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Chapter 4 

Edna heard the door to Tracy's room open then slammed shut.

'What has gotten into that girl?' she thought as she kept ironing, 'Why does Wilbur have to work such long hours at that shop?'

Mr. Turnblad was the only one who could talk to Tracy when she was this upset. His gentle, caring nature was key to his and his daughter's relationship.

Edna kept ironing until her worry and curiosity got the best of her. She made her way through the hall to Tracy's bedroom and knocked on the door cautiously. She didn't know what reaction to expect from the obviously distressed teen.

"Tracy?" She called out softly. When she received no answer, she tried again, "Tracy, are you alright, hon?"

"Please, ma. I…I need to be alone."

She heard some sniffling and sighing so she decided to keep trying for a clearer explanation. "Tracy Edna Turnblad, something is going on and I am worried. First, I don't even hear you come in the house, then, I hear your door slamming shut, and now all this sniffling and sighing. Please let me in, hon. I'm worried now."

"Please, ma, I don't want to talk about it. I just want to be alone. I'll be okay, I promise."

"Tracy Edna Turnblad, open this door right now…please?" She couldn't be harsh if she tried, not when she knew her only daughter was suffering and Mrs. Turnblad had no clue what the reason was.

Tracy opened the door letting her mother see her puffy, bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked face. Edna instinctively went to wrap Tracy into a protective momma bear hug.

"Oh, my baby girl! What in the world is making you this upset? Was it Link?" She kept asking, still holding Tracy tightly. The gasp and deep sob that escaped Tracy was all the answer she needed. Her arms tightened around her beautiful daughter as if they were the strongest shield that ever sheltered anyone and anything from any type of harm or danger.

"What did he do now?" She inquired, her tone stern and clearly upset.

"Oh mother! He…he…" Tracy couldn't bring herself to say it. It hurt too much and it cut too deep. 'Why? Why did it have to be Brenda and not me giving Link a baby?' She thought bitterly.

"What is it, Tracy?" Edna asked, getting more and more disconcerted at her daughter's silence. She released her from her corporeal confinement to look at the young girl in front of her, Edna's eyes demanding an explanation.

"Mom, it's…it's not Link's fault. Well, it sort of is…but…he didn't know at the time this was going to happen." Tears were still coming, where from, she didn't know. She thought she had cried enough for her whole lifetime already.

"Tracy, would you please stop talking in code and tell me in clear and understandable sentences what this crooner did to you?"

"Link didn't do anything to me, mother. This happened before we were even friends, but now…well, we just can't be together because of it and it just hurts so much, mom. It hurts so much. Why her and not me?" She couldn't hold it in any longer. Tracy threw herself on her bed, clutched her pillow and cried. Her body shook violently as she wailed and sighed to catch her breath and wailed again.

Edna couldn't help it. She began to cry along with her daughter. She felt Tracy's pain and suffering and wished she could wipe it all away with a kiss and a hug, just as she did when Tracy was just a little girl coming home from school crying because all the kids had made fun of her weight and her funny clothes. But no, this was different, Edna knew. Tracy was almost an adult and this type of wound cut deeper than any words from childhood mischievous classmates.

"Oh Tracy, hon, what are you talking about? You're scaring me now. You're not making sense."

"I'm sorry. I don't want you to worry, mom. I just can't tell you any more. Please…I want to be alone and wallow in my own sorrow." She spoke into the tear-soaked pillow, not wanting to face her mother for fear of another flood happening. She also knew her mother was hurting and crying with her and she hated to be the cause.

"Tell you what. I'll call the school and Mr. Collins tomorrow and tell them you've come down with the flu. All right?" Her suggestion came as a great relief to Tracy. She still didn't know what to do about tomorrow, or every day after that, for that matter. She hadn't given any thought to how she was going to handle seeing Link day after day at school and at the station. She needed time to sort things out and her mother had come to her rescue…as she always did. Tracy turned to face her heroine and nodded in agreement, sniffling and wiping at her tears.

"I'll let you stay in so you can calm down." Edna continued, "Get some rest, hon, it will help your mind figure things out and you'll feel better in the morning." She cupped her daughter's wet cheek and leaned in to give her a kiss on her forehead. "There's just one thing I need from you, Tracy. You and I still need to talk about this. Do you understand?"

Tracy looked into her mother's determined gaze and knew that there was no way she was getting out of giving her an explanation.

"Yes, mom. I promise I'll tell you tomorrow."

Tracy felt emotionally exhausted and drained. There was no way she could shed any more tears. Her eyes felt suddenly extremely heavy and she just couldn't keep them open. She lay back on her comfy, fluffy pillow and immediately drifted off to a restless slumber, but not before feeling her mother's lips on her forehead again and hearing her sweet voice telling her, "Night, hon. I love you."

Link gave up on Tracy showing up for school by 4th period class. He was anxiously waiting for the last bell of the day to ring. The final class seemed like the longest ever for him.

As soon as the bell rang, Link jumped off his seat and sprinted to his locker. He wanted to get to WYZT as soon as possible, but it seemed like everybody had decided to block his way to get to Tracy. He was too distracted in thinking about seeing Tracy at the station that the thought of Tracy not showing up there either hadn't entered his mind. His Algebra textbook went tumbling down, the corner of it hitting his left foot as he realized it was very much possible for Tracy to skip the show as well. He froze in his place, physical pain going unnoticed. He couldn't endure the absence of the woman he loved any longer. He just couldn't, especially because there was no reason for it. At least, there was none that he knew of.

He slowly closed the door to his locker and turned to walk away to his car. Everything moved in slow motion for Link. Everything and everyone was against him. The whole world was at odds with him. Tracy was the only person in his life who could set things right for him. She was the only one who could make the world start spinning on its axis again. Nothing would be in tune until she was back with him, by his side, hugging him, kissing him and loving him as much as he wanted to hug, kiss and love her.

"Penny! Oh gosh! I'm so sorry. I didn't…I wasn't…watching where I was going." He bumped into her and apologized profusely for being so distracted he hadn't noticed her crossing his path.

Penny just smiled at him and told him it was okay. She was walking away, but Link stopped her.

"Penny…wait. Have you seen Tracy?"

"No. She wasn't at school today." She answered nervously.

"Do you know why?"

"N…no…I don't. Sorry, Link." She sounded even more nervous and Link took notice. "I'm late to meet Seaweed." Penny took a step to leave, but Link blocked her way.

"Penny…please tell me. You know why Tracy is not in school today, don't you?" His eyes were pleading with her and she could see the pain clearly etched on them.

Penny hesitated, but she knew her best friend was suffering. She hated to see her friend suffer. She still believed Link had nothing to do with Brenda's current 'situation' so she decided to take the risk. It was worth it for her best friend's happiness. Tracy deserved to be happy! She was the best friend anyone could ever ask for, after all.

"Yeah, I know." She confessed, still a bit hesitant for what she was about to do.

Link's hope lifted just a bit. Penny knew why Tracy had been acting so weird and was so upset last night. He prayed to every deity he could remember that Penny would tell him once and for all and end his anguish.

"Please, Penny. I need to know. I'm begging you. She broke up with me last night and I have no idea why. It's killing me!"

They were in the middle of the hallway inside the school, but Link didn't care how uncool he sounded. He needed Tracy and he would do anything, say anything to get her back.

Penny took a deep breath to give her time to rationalize why she would be telling Link something Tracy had promised not to. She smiled as if remembering something very naughty. Tracy had promised Brenda, but Penny hadn't promised anyone anything. Tracy hadn't asked her to keep it a secret. She would not be breaking a best friend's word if she told Link, she decided.

"What? Penny, please!" Link almost yelled. He had waited for Penny to speak for what felt like an eternity.

"Not here. School's not a good place to discuss this."

"Where then? If we wait until we're at the station…she'll be there, Penny. I can't take any more of this!"

"Link, she's not going to dance today."

"What?!"

"Look, head on over to the station. I'll meet you there. You're already late."

"But…"

"Link, I promise I'll tell you. You and Seaweed are already late. I'll ride with him and I'll see you there. Okay?"

"Okay." Link walked to his car, defeated…for now. At least, he thought, he was soon going to know the truth.

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**A/N: **So, there you have it. Chapter 4. Hot off the press. ;) Thoughts, comments, reviews, critiques are always welcome! 


	5. Chapter 5

Well, since you guys asked so nicely, here's the next chapter. :) But seriously, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you all for the awesome reviews! They really do make my day! I love them! The more you review, the more I want to write!

Okay, so...on to...

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Chapter 5 

"Tracy? Hon, are you okay?" Edna asked sweetly after gently rapping on Tracy's door the next day. "Wake up, Tracy. It's almost noon."

She knocked a bit louder after receiving no response from Tracy. She heard some stirring inside and waited before knocking again.

"I'm awake, mom." Tracy's voice was hoarse and weak. She had cried herself to sleep and the roughness and grogginess in her tone gave her away.

"Can I come in?" Edna was still as concerned as the night before. She had wanted to wake Tracy up since early in the morning, but she figured she'd give her a little bit more time to rest even though it was torture not knowing what was wrong with her baby girl.

"Yeah." Was all the response she needed, and she was inside Tracy's bedroom and sitting on her bed in seconds.

"Are you feeling better, hon?"

"I guess. I don't know, ma. I feel…numb." Tracy replied, rubbing the sleep and dry tears off her eyes.

"Tracy, I have been pacing back and forth through this house, letting you sleep as much as I could wait. I can't take it anymore. What is going on with you and Link?"

Everything came crashing back to Tracy's mind. Tears threatened to escape again, but she forced them back with a deep sigh, closing her eyes to brace herself for her mother's reaction to what she was about to find out.

"I…I…broke up with Link last night. I can't be with him anymore." Her tone was serious and determined, yet a sob got caught in her throat against her will.

"Oh Tracy. What happened? He's still thinking about his career first, isn't he? He's a fool, hon. He doesn't deserve your tears."

"No, no, no." Tracy shook her head before sighing sadly, "That's not it."

"Well, then what?" Edna's mind was on overdrive. She didn't want to jump to the wrong conclusions, but her patience was running pretty thin.

"Mom, remember I told you about Brenda?"

"The girl you replaced on the show?"

"Yeah."

"What about her?"

"Well, the reason she left the show is…" Tracy paused, not sure about being able to continue.

Mrs. Turnblad noticed how difficult this was for Tracy so she waited, struggling to stay calm.

"The…the reason she left the show is because she's pregnant."

Edna gasped at the last word and she covered her wide-open mouth with her hand as she tried to tie two and two together.

"Oh that poor girl. She can't be much older than you, Tracy. She's so young and now she's going to be a mother. What her poor parents must be going through…" she trailed off, noticing Tracy's look of disbelief.

"Tracy," she began hesitantly, realization slowly appearing on her face, "who is the father?" She hoped against all hope she was wrong, but she already knew the answer.

"Link." Tracy whispered, pain clearly audible in her voice.

There was a long silence. Neither mother nor daughter could speak. Tracy was letting the reality and the seriousness of the situation sink in after saying it out loud for the second time. All Edna could think about was her daughter's pain.

She couldn't even bring herself to wonder whether Tracy and Link had also…

'Why her and not me?' She remembered the desperate question her daughter had blurted out in her fit. Surely it couldn't mean that Tracy was wondering why the other girl had gotten pregnant and not herself, right? Right?

"Tracy!! Have you and Link…?"

Tracy didn't need to hear the rest of the question. The look on her mother's face was all she needed to understand exactly what she was trying to ask.

"No, ma! I would never…" She trailed off, remembering the incident in the car the night before…and how much she _really_ wanted to.

Edna let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath, expecting nothing less from her daughter than respecting herself and behaving like the decent, young lady she was.

"Does Link know about the baby?" Edna decided to ask, holding back from giving her daughter the lesson she so anxiously wanted to give her.

"No. He has no idea."

"What? He has the right to know, Tracy!" Edna was appalled. "The baby needs a father!"

"I know, ma. I know. That's why I have to let him go."

It still hurt very much to say it, even though she wasn't crying anymore. The fact that she was no longer going to hear his melodious voice, hold his hand, feel his lips on hers or feel his strong, yet gentle arms around her still stabbed at her heart, but Tracy was becoming used to the pain. She loved him. She couldn't change that fact if she tried, either. Tracy was willing to give him up so that his child could have the amazing father she knew Link could be.

"But…I don't understand. You broke up with him and you didn't tell him why?"

"No, I didn't. I just…said good-bye…and left. I…couldn't even look at him, ma. It hurt so much."

"He must have demanded an explanation, didn't he? I mean, he seemed so…in love with you."

"Yes, he did. He told me he was going to fight for me. He wasn't going to give up on me…"Tracy sighed, then continued, "His voice, ma, the way he said it…it broke my heart. I hated to do that to him, but I just had to. I couldn't tell him why."

Edna reached out to her daughter, wrapped her up in her arms and rocked her back and forth, trying to comfort her the best way she could.

"Baby, I know. I know how much it must hurt, but you should have told him, Tracy. He deserves an explanation. Not to mention, he needs to know about the baby. He needs to take responsibility for his actions."

"Brenda made me promise I wouldn't tell Link."

"That is wrong, Tracy. She has no right to keep a child from his father."

"I tried to tell her, but she insisted. She said her life was already ruined. She didn't want to ruin Link's as well."

"I don't know, Tracy. I still think he should know."

"It's not my place to tell him, mother. I'm just going to stay away. Maybe that way, she'll reconsider and tell Link herself." Tracy didn't want to talk about it anymore. She was emotionally exhausted and she didn't know what else to say.

"You're right, I guess. If that girl doesn't want her baby to have a father…well, that's just wrong, but…you're right. You shouldn't be involved."

Tracy sighed into her mother's chest after a long silence. Mrs. Turnblad was still holding her and rocking her back and forth when she asked, "Are you hungry, hon? You want me to bring you something? I saved you some toast, eggs and bacon."

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She looked at the alarm clock on her end table. It was 3:59 pm. She dashed over to her TV set and quickly turned it on. It was already set to the channel she watched every afternoon at 4 pm. Brenda had been waiting anxiously all day for the show to begin, so when the familiar faces appeared on the screen and the well-known tune blared out of the speakers, her eyes immediately scanned the set in search of her target.

"I'm Lil Inez…Brad…Shelley…Sketch…Fender…"

"Oh come on! Get on with it!" She screamed at the black and white tube, waiting for all the teenagers to dance up to the camera to call out their own names. The song was quite a bit longer now that the show was integrated.

"Noreen…Seaweed…Doreen…and I'm…Link!"

She squealed with joy when the last council member (and the object of her sick obsession) answered to roll call and no one followed.

"She didn't show up! She's not there!" She pointed out the obvious to no one in particular.

She decided to go to the station again to find out what was going on. She just had to see for herself that Tracy and Link had broken up. She just knew her plan had worked. Link was finally going be hers!

Despite all the begging and tantrums she threw, her parents were adamant. They were not going to let her out of the house again. Once had been enough. They couldn't live through another two hours in fear of people finding out about their daughter's shameful secret. It would ruin their respectable and honorable reputation for sure.

After one last ferocious scream of defeat, she jerked herself around and stomped angrily back to her room. She wasn't giving up yet. She was going to wait.

'Perhaps it is too soon.' She thought. 'They did just break up yesterday. I'll give him a week to get over that…buffalo. That should be enough time for my Linky-poo to bounce back.' She smiled to herself feeling victorious.

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Right, well...what do you think about this one? Too much? Not enough? Review! It will be muchly appreciated. :) 


	6. Chapter 6

Baby Makes Three

A/N: I know it's taken way too long for me to update, but real life had gotten too much in the way of my writing. Hopefully, I'll be able to continue with this story from now on so I can update more frequently. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews as always! They are always appreciated!

On to the next chapter:

Chapter 6

Link didn't get a chance to talk to Penny before the show started. He made it to the studio just in time, the second Maybelle called everybody up on stage for practice. There was a brand new dance to learn and she was adamant that everyone learned it to perfection.

Time didn't seem to advance at all for Link. It just crept on, eternal second by eternal second. He was barely hanging on trying to concentrate on the new steps, but it was futile. Maybelle noticed, so she called him over to the side.

"Link, can I have a word please?" The whole council's eyes were on him as he turned to walk to where Maybelle stood, looking concerned. They had noticed his lack of focus as well.

"I didn't ask you guys to stop." She addressed the ogling kids. "Come on, everyone. Keep practicing until you get it just right. Seaweed, take over for me." She said before turning her attention back to Link who had already reached her.

"Yes ma'am?" He asked, already knowing what the problem was.

"Is something wrong, Link? I can't help but notice you're not yourself today. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No ma'am, but thank you for asking." Link bowed his head. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't answer her truthfully, for that matter, because if he did, he would start to cry, and that just wouldn't be cool in the eyes of everyone he knew was watching their exchange.

"Come on, honey. You don't have to lie to me. I know you too well. It's about Tracy, isn't it?" Her motherly instincts were impeccable.

Link's head shot up immediately after hearing her name. His eyes were on the verge of redness and the moisture gathering and threatening to leak out blurred his vision.

"I'm…I'm…sorry." He composed himself and slicked back his do. Blinking away the looming tears, he smiled at Maybelle and continued, "It's silly, really. I just miss her. She was not at school today. It's been a long day without her."

"Aww…puppy love. You and Seaweed got it bad for those girls, don'tcha?" She smiled back at him in that loving, motherly way she was so good at.

Before Link knew what hit him, her face went serious and she smacked him on the shoulder. "…But this is show time, boy. It's not like you'll never see her again. Pull yourself together and get out there and shake those hips like only you can." She nudged him playfully to let him know she understood, but she still meant business.

"Yes ma'am!" He shot her his patented smile and wink and walked off to take his place on the dance floor.

Her words of encouragement didn't help his situation, but he welcomed the break with great relief. He had been thinking and worrying non-stop about Tracy and their break up and Penny knowing the reason why and him wanting to know what happened. Added to that, he was missing Tracy like crazy (he wasn't lying about that when he talked to Miss Maybelle). He was thankful for the brief distraction. He knew once the cameras started rolling, he would have to put on the Teen Heartthrob façade. That would be enough to let his real afflictions sit on the back burner for an hour. He resolved to practice his patience and concentrate on the show for the time being.

"And…we're off!"

That was all Link needed to hear. He scanned the huge set looking for Penny. When he found her sitting on one of the first row seats, he rushed over to her, almost bumping into Seaweed, who was also sprinting, trying to get to his girl.

"Oh sorry, man. I…"

"Slow down, cracker boy. What's the big hurry?" Seaweed asked, noticing Link's haste.

"I need to talk to Penny, man. It's about Tracy." And he left it at that.

"You can't have your cake and eat it, too, Link." His words sounded serious as if they were a warning.

Link's confused stare forced him to continue, "Anyway, make it quick, Larkin. We gotta go soon or Penny's mom will tie her up again if she's even a minute late."

He didn't even respond. No time to waste, he thought, and he made his way towards Penny.

"Penny…"

She took her cherry lollypop out of her mouth and looked up from the book she was reading. She stood up quickly when she saw Link standing there, in front of her, looking like a lost puppy.

"Penny, please…you have to tell me what's going on with Tracy. You promised…"

"Yeah. I know." She looked over Link's shoulder and to her sides to make sure the coast was clear. Seaweed was the only one lurking around out of earshot, waiting to take her home.

Link sat down next to Penny and looked at her expectantly. She turned in her seat to face him and took a deep breath before she started.

"Link, Tracy broke up with you because Brenda told her she was pregnant with your baby." She put her sucker back in her mouth after watching Link's facial expressions morph from anxiety to confusion to shock to full blown rage.

"What did you just say?!" He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He remained seated, frozen with fury.

"It's not true, is it? Please, Link, tell me it's not true."

"What? Of course it's not true!! Why would Tracy believe that nonsense? I've never…" He hissed.

It was all making sense to him now. Tracy had been distant ever since Brenda's visit to the studio. That's when she must have told her, he realized.

"Oh Link! Brenda asked her not to tell you. She made her promise."

"What?" He kept asking the same question. He still couldn't believe Brenda was capable of this much evil. "Why would she do that? She is twisted and sick in the head. That's what she is! I hate her!" His hands were iron fists ready to smash something…anything, and his jaw was clenched so tight, his teeth were grinding loud enough to make Penny cringe.

"You have no idea how devastated my best friend was when she was telling me what that…that…floozy had told her. Tracy had already made up her mind to let you go when I found her during break yesterday."

He stood up then, wanting to run to Tracy and clear everything up and make things right again, but Penny stopped him.

"Wait Link. I don't think you should…"

He was so enraged; he thoughtlessly jerked his arm from Penny's grasp.

"Don't…try to stop me, Penny! I'm going to…" but he didn't finish his rant. Seaweed was there in a flash after witnessing the violent exchange.

"Link!" Seaweed interrupted, "What are you doing, man? Don't you EVER do that to Penny again! Do you hear me?!"

Link realized what he had done and his face showed his remorse as much as his fury.

"I'm sorry, guys. I…I gotta go…" He took off at a fast sprint.

"Link!" Penny tried to call after him, but it was too late. He had already made his decision and he was out the door before Penny could ask Seaweed to run after him and stop him.


End file.
